Hookah bars are a recent addition to the nightlife of Indian towns and their coloured glass “sheesha” a recent import from West Asia. But in the Deccan, hookahs have been a part of local life for a long, long time. Some 500 years ago Portuguese traders brought tobacco sourced from the Americas first to Bijapur. The invention of the hookah is, in fact, credited to a hakim in Bijapur. As tobacco found favour in the Deccan, local manufacturers turned out thousands of silver or gold inlaid Bidri work hookah bases for the well-heeled smokers, while those with shallower pockets made do by fashioning the bases out of coconut shells. Public hookah shops, the medieval equivalent of today’s hookah bars, became a real draw.

Read More: From Five Centuries Ago, the Cosmopolitan World of the Deccan Sultanates

In Bangalore-based painter Seema Sathyu’s world, you are constantly juggling paradoxes. Her oeuvre spans three decades but her excitement, when talking about her work, is undimmed by the years. There is a fragility to her that is a stark contrast to her dramatic paintings, some of which are on show at her new exhibition Harf Hai Sarmasti, at the ZAZA Stay Gallery, New Delhi. Her current series is largely inspired by the poetry of 13th century Persian poet Amir Khusrau, a Sufi mystic and disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi.

Read More: Poetry in Painting

Seventeenth century was a period of transition for India, both politically and economically. While the Mughals strengthened their hold in the north, economic relations were thriving along the Coromandel coast. Merchant guilds flourished across the region, catering to Europeans, exploring far away lands in search of spices and textiles. Besides relishing Indian cloves, Europe was also wearing Indian cotton and soon decorating homes with it. Perhaps it was around this time that a 230 x 180 cm fabric, with kalamkari print, travelled to France.

Read More: Stitch in Time